It's a good, good thing
you voted for green because that's the color I was going to pick anyway. It was a landslide. Foreshadowing of something greater, perhaps. (Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.)
For the record: Yellow and white each garnered three votes, black received five nods, red was called for six times, and green won a total of 12 victory cries. (This does not include the two additional green votes offered by "mrlowry," although his enthusiasm is appreciated.)
Red was a bit too obvious; black a bit too boring; white a bit too Cupertino, California; and yellow reminded me of all the curbs and handrails I painted during my college summers.
Green.
Among other things, I like the unavoidable environmental implications. And while I was set on green from the very beginning, it didn't hurt that some of my favorite people agreed. Green was selected by Jon Iverson, Michael Lavorgna, John DeVore, Ariel Bitran,
and John Atkinson. In my opinion, the green finish is actually just the slightest bit ugly (I like that about it) and the most unusual; it's not a racing green or a hunter green (thank goodness), but, as Jon Iverson so eloquently put it, a "monkey vomit green." Surprising as it may be, I imagine that this monkey vomit green turntable will make me smile every time I look at it. And that's important to me.
I feel that these sorts of things—luxury items, used in leisurely pursuits—
should be fun. What the hell are we bothering with this stuff for, if not to have fun? Of course, I do have my limits; I probably wouldn't go for a polka-dotted turntable or one with a clown nose, but still. Fun is good. Especially in a hobby. Especially in hi-fi.
With that in mind, I want to address one specific suggestion made by Tom Collins. Tom offered:
As cool as the colors are, if this is really a starter deck, it will have to be resold at some point to move up. Just as you can always sell a car that has not been smoked in, you can always sell a turntable in basic black. One could easily spice up the black with a colored mat however at no risk, just keep the original.
I appreciate Tom's thoughtful advice, but I choose not to follow it. Practical, though it may be, it strikes me as also being a bit joyless. My nature is such that I rarely, if ever, take into consideration "resale value" when it comes to any decision, purchasing or otherwise. It's simply not something I'm concerned with. I would never get into real estate simply for the turnaround profit, for instance. I would never get into a relationship if not for the possibility of a lifelong love. Etcetera. Maybe this is a bit reckless of me, but I'm in it for the long-run. Which means that I choose to surround myself with the things that bring me the most satisfaction, the things that make me smile. I figure if I accomplish this, I'll always have something around to cheer me up, when necessary. While this strategy does make parting so much more painful, it also makes everyday life that much more pleasurable. It's worked out very well, so far.
The new, colorful Rega P3-24 will be available sometime near the end of September, which will make it a perfect birthday gift from me to me.
Green it is. Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts.
